BACKGROUND Obesity is associated with inflammation but the role of vitamin D in this process is not clear. OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], BMI, and 16 inflammatory biomarkers, and to assess the role of vitamin D as a potential mediator in the association between higher BMI and inflammation. METHODS Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) 31-y data on 3586 individuals were analyzed to examine the observational associations between BMI, 25(OH)D, and 16 inflammatory biomarkers. Multivariable regression analyses and 2-sample regression-based Mendelian randomization (MR) mediation analysis were performed to assess any role of vitamin D in mediating a causal effect of BMI on inflammatory biomarkers [soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP)] for which observational associations were detected. For MR, genome-wide association study summary results ranging from 5163 iomarkers. CONCLUSIONS The findings from our observational study and causal MR analyses, together with data from RCTs, do not support a beneficial role of vitamin D supplementation on obesity-related inflammation. Copyright © The Author(s) 2020.Tripartite motif (TRIM) 31 is a member of TRIM family and exerts oncogenic role in the progression and drug resistance of several cancers. However, little is known about the relevance of TRIM31 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Herein, we investigated the role of TRIM31 in AML. We examined the expression levels of TRIM31 in the blood samples from 34 patients with AML and 34 healthy volunteers using qRT-PCR. The mRNA levels of TRIM31 in human bone marrow stromal cells (HS-5) and five AML cell lines were also detected. Loss/gain-of-function assays were performed to assess the role of TRIM31 in AML cells proliferation, apoptosis and sensitivity to daunorubicin. The expression levels of pro-caspase 3, cleaved caspase 3, Wnt3a, β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-Myc were measured using Western blot. TRIM31 expression levels were significantly up-regulated in AML patients and cell lines. Knockdown of TRIM31 suppressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis in AML-5 and U937 cells. The IC50 of daunorubicin was significantly decreased in TRIM31 siRNA (si-TRIM31) transfected cells. Oppositely, induced cell proliferation and decreased cell apoptosis were observed in pcDNA-3.1-TRIM31 transfected cells. Furthermore, knockdown of TRIM31 suppressed the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in AML cells. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway by LiCl abolished the effects of si-TRIM31 on cell proliferation, apoptosis and sensitivity to daunorubicin in AML cells. In conclusion, the results indicated that TRIM31 promoted leukemogenesis and chemoresistance to daunorubicin in AML. The oncogenic role of TRIM31 in AML was mediated by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thus, TRIM31 might serve as a therapeutic target for the AML treatment. © 2020 The Author(s).BACKGROUND Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic valvular heart disease that is responsible for a heavy burden of premature mortality in low- and middle-income countries. The total costs of RHD are important to health policy and research investment decisions. We estimate for the first time the total cost of RHD for Fiji (2008-2012) using a cost-of-illness approach and novel primary data on RHD disease burden and costs. METHODS RHD cases were identified using probabilistic record linkage across four routine data sources (1) the Fiji RHD Control Program, (2) national hospital admissions records, (3) the Ministry of Health database of cause-specific deaths and (4) hospital ECG clinic registers. For each individual with RHD, we obtained information on RHD hospital admissions, treatment and death. We conducted a prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis, including bottom-up assessment of indirect and direct (healthcare) costs. RESULTS The estimated cost of RHD in Fiji for 2008-2012 was year-2010 $FJ91.6 million (approximately US$47.7 million). Productivity losses from premature mortality constituted the majority of costs (71.4%). Indirect costs were 27-fold larger than the direct costs. CONCLUSIONS RHD leads to a heavy economic burden in Fiji. Improved prevention strategies for RHD will likely confer substantial economic benefits to the country. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.BACKGROUND Anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs (anti-TNFs) are widely used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). However, many patients experience loss of response during the first year of therapy. An early predictor of clinical remission and mucosal healing is needed. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are markers of subclinical inflammation poorly evaluated in UC patients treated with anti-TNFs. The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate whether NLR and PLR could be used as prognostic markers of anti-TNF treatment response. METHODS Patients with UC who started anti-TNF treatment in monotherapy were evaluated. Patients with concomitant corticosteroid treatment ?20 mg were excluded. We calculated NLR, PLR, and fecal calprotectin before treatment and after induction. The values of NLR and PLR were correlated with clinical remission and mucosal healing at the end of follow-up (54 weeks) using the Mann-Whitney U test and then multivariate analysis was conducted. RESULTS Eighty-eight patients were included. Patients who reached mucosal healing after 54 weeks of therapy displayed lower levels of both baseline NLR and PLR (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.04, respectively); similar results were obtained at week 8 (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.001, respectively). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/chir-99021-ct99021-hcl.html Patients who presented with active ulcers at baseline endoscopic evaluation had higher baseline NLR and PLR values compared with those without detected ulcers (P = 0.002 and P = 0.0007, respectively). CONCLUSIONS BothNLR and PLR showed a promising role as early predictors of therapeutic response to anti-TNF therapy in UC patients. If confirmed in larger studies, classification and regression trees proposed in this article could be useful to guide clinical decisions regarding anti-TNF treatment. © 2020 Crohn’s &amp; Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.